The Idaho Heritage Trust, Inc. (IHT) was incorporated under the Idaho Non-profit Corporation Act on June 23, 1988 and further amended on May 10, 1989. Glenn Janss, H.F. Magnuson and Martin Peterson signed the original Articles of Incorporation. Mr. Magnuson was the Chair of the Idaho Centennial Commission; Ms. Janss was Chair of the Lasting Legacy Committee and Mr. Peterson was the Vice Chair/CEO of the Commission. They also served on the board of the Idaho Centennial Foundation.

Spring of 1989
In the spring of 1989, two Idaho corporations, Albertson’s and Boise Cascade donated $50,000 each in start up funds to the IHT.

April of 1990
In April of 1990, Governor Cecil Andrus signed into law two bills regarding the Idaho Heritage Trust. Both of these legislative initiatives reflect the commitment of the 100th Idaho Legislature in protecting our State’s heritage for future generations to enjoy and appreciate.

House Bill 514 (Chapter 76, Title 67, Idaho Code) provided official recognition of the IHT as a private organization uniquely qualified to assist in carrying out the state’s policy of encouraging historic preservation.

In addition, starting with the general reissue of vehicle license plates in 1992, Senate Bill 1338 (Chapter 45, Title 49, Idaho Code) allows for 50 cents from each plate ($1.00 per passenger car) to be deposited to the Idaho Heritage Trust. This serves as payment for the use of the copyrighted centennial plate design. The design was copyrighted by the Idaho Centennial Foundation and, at the conclusion of the centennial, the Foundation assigned the copyright to the IHT.

1990
John Barnes was hired as the Trust’s first Executive Director

1990
Albertsons, First Security Bank, H.F. Magnuson, the Janss Foundation, Basic American Foods and West One Bank all made additional start-up contributions of $50,000 or more to get the Trust off to a strong start.

1990
Chesterfield Foundation was awarded $125,000 to support the acquisition of land in this early Mormon settlement in Southeastern Idaho.

1990
In cooperation with the U S Forest Service and the Trust for Public Land, the Idaho Heritage Trust worked to protect and renovate Campbell’s Ferry, a historic ranch on the Salmon River. The ranch has been kept in private ownership under preservation covenant restrictions. Frances Zaunmiller Wisner, noted Idaho journalist, lived in her cabin at Campbell’s Ferry from 1940 until her death in 1986.

1991
Gaetha Pace was hired as Director of Development.

1991
In 1991 the Idaho Centennial Commission and the Idaho Centennial Foundation donated their remaining assets of $173,829 to the Idaho Heritage Trust.

1992
The IHT begin awarding open competition grants in the fall of 1992.

1993Gaetha Pace became the Executive Director of the Trust.

The trust is reasonably well funded and empowered to seek and accept support from private donors. I dare say it will make a consequential mark on the history of the next century.

Governor Robert Smylie

1993
Then Washington Water Power, now AVISTA Corporation, donated the Lime Point property along the Snake River near Lewiston to the IHT. In 1996 this property was sold for $214,000 to the Nature Conservancy and the funds used to create what is now the AVISTA Fund for North Idaho. One half of the funds must be used for projects on the Spokane River, the Clark Fork River and Lake Coeur d’Alene and the streams flowing into and out of the Lake. The other half must be used in the AVISTA service area.

1994
Frederick Walters entered into his first contract with the Idaho Heritage Trust to provide architectural assistance to our grantees. This program has grown to be one of our most popular and has grown to include engineers, planners, and grant writing assistance, conservators and museum experts.

1997
The IHT published The Traveling History Book featuring photographs by Erich Korte of the first 110 Idaho Heritage Trust projects.

1998
With the help of Dr. Stephen Ambrose and then Governor Phil Batt and his wife Jackie, the Idaho Heritage Trust purchased the Lewis and Clark Camp site at Glade Creek from Plum Creek Timber. A generous lead gift of $100,000 was provided by Idaho Power Company and the remainder of the funds provided by the Murdock Trust, the Paul Allen Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and members of the IHT Board of Trustees.

1998
In partnership with the National Park Service, the Idaho Heritage Trust sponsored a Sacred Heritage Conference to discuss the preservation of historic churches and cemeteries.

1999
The IHT began a partnership with the Steele Reese Foundation to provide funding for the preservation of historic properties in rural Idaho.

2000
The Idaho Heritage Trust gifted Glade Creek Camp to the State of Idaho into the management and care of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.

2003
By 2003 the IHT had met our goal of having granted projects and technical assistance in every county in Idaho.

2004
The Idaho Heritage Trust provided the help of Frederick Walters to the Historic Silver City Foundation and in 2005 and 2006 Tom May contributed $100,000 in stock to the Idaho Heritage Trust for the restoration of the Silver City school house in memory of his brother Eric May.

2004
The IHT provides the time and expertise of Frederick Walters to the Pacific NW Preservation Field School.

2004
The Idaho Heritage Trust began a program of technical assistance to Museums Along the Lewis and Clark Trail. The Governor’s Lewis and Clark Trail Committee provided funding for this project.

2006
The IHT began a series of cooperative technical assistance projects with the US Forest Service, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation and the Idaho State Historical Society. These contracts provide assistance to projects in Bayhorse, Landmark, Ritter Island and Franklin.

2007
Battelle Energy Alliance contributed $25,000 to the IHT to be used for scholarships to the Preservation Field School.

2007
The Trust began providing archaeological technical assistance to the Wasden Site, Givens Hot Springs, Weis Bar and the Bison Kill Site near Challis.

2008
Photographer Jan Boles began photographing Trust projects in preparation for a new edition of the Traveling History Book. He also began a complete documentation of the state’s historic courthouses.

2008
The Sister Alfreda Elsensohn Museum Award for Outstanding Service was initiated in 2008 as a joint award given annually by the Idaho Heritage Trust, Idaho Humanities Council, and Idaho State Historical Society.

2009
Long time Executive Director Gaetha Pace retires.

2010
With the help of IHT's Technical Assistance program, the Lincoln Creek School and community center on the Shoshone Bannock Reservation applied for and received
a prestigious Lowe's/National Trust for Historic Preservation Award of $55,000 to continue restoration of an historic school as a community center.

2012
The Trust continues its program to provide assistance and training in the care of historic cemeteries and hosts a Cemetery Preservation Workshop for Boise County at the Idaho City Pioneer Cemetery.

2013
In partnership with the Idaho State Historical Society, Preservation Idaho, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Idaho Association of Museums, and the Idaho Archaeology Society, the Trust led the organization of the 1st Idaho's Heritage Conference.